An Anambra-based cleric, Rev Emmanuel Okoroafor, has urged Christians to embrace agape love as the true mark of faith, warning that spiritual gifts and religious activities were meaningless without genuine love for God and humanity.
Okoroafor, the pastor in charge of New Heritage Baptist Church, Awka gave the charge during a sermon focused on Apostle Paul’s teaching on love in 1 Corinthians 13.
Drawing from Paul’s response to the early church, the cleric regretted that, while many believers excel in spiritual gifts such as speaking in tongues and active participation in ministry, something essential is often missing: love.
“From the outside, everything may look good. The church may not lack talents or activity, but beyond that, love is the true source of life,” he said.
Okoroafor explained that Paul’s message was a correction for believers who celebrated spiritual gifts but neglected love, the foundation of the Christian faith.
Quoting the scripture, he reminded the congregation that speaking “in the tongues of men and of angels” without love makes one “a sounding gong or a clanging cymbal.”
He stressed that love goes beyond romantic expressions often highlighted at weddings.
The cleric described agape as the sacrificial love established by Jesus Christ to transform lives and positively influence society.
According to him, bitterness, envy, and pride are signs of love’s absence, warning that such attitudes destroy families, churches, and communities.
He cited the biblical account of two brothers whose relationship was ruined by jealousy, leading to tragedy.
“Giving does not replace love,” he added, emphasizing that even acts of charity amount to nothing if not rooted in genuine compassion.
The preacher further described love as patient, kind, truthful, and selfless, noting that it does not boast, envy, or seek personal gain.
“If you claim to love God, show it in how you treat your brother and sister,” he charged.
He concluded with a call on Christian faithful to reflect deeply on their relationships and practice true agape love as the hallmark of authentic faith
